Oklahoma City won 60 games last season and finished as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook was injured in the first round of the playoffs, however, and the Thunder were beaten in five games by Memphis in the conference semifinals.

Westbrook underwent surgery last spring. He had a second surgery on Oct 1 and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks of the new season.

Corbin still believes Oklahoma City "will be right there at the end" because "they are a still a good ballclub. ... With Westbrook out, Durant will increase his role as a ballhandler. The ball will be in his hands more."

About the Jazz Ľ After opening the preseason with a blowout win, the Jazz went on to lose seven straight exhibition games. Ö Swingman Gordon Hayward led the team in scoring during the postseason, averaging 15.9 points a night. Ö Injuries to key rotation players have hampered production from the teamís second unit.

Lack of talent will also hamper it!

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The Jazz will start the season with just 10 healthy players. Ö Veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley, a late addition to the team, is expected to be ready to play against the Thunder.

About the Thunder Ľ One of the teams expected to compete for the Western Conference title, led by forward Kevin Durant. Ö OKC is missing All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, who is still rehabbing from an knee injury, but backup Reggie Jackson torched the Jazz for 18 points in preseason play.

Xiao Yao You

10-30-2013 09:33 AM

Re: The season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

Posted on October 29, 2013

by David Locke

This week Kevin Durant sat down for a long form interview with Oklahoman writer Darnell Mayberry. In the interview he shared how his approach to the game has changed over the years.

The first paragraph below struck a cord when put in the context of where Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Alec Burks and Enes Kanter stand in there careers.

But, first coming into the league, I was a little confused because itís so many great teams every night. It was no cupcake games like it was in high school and college. Every night, you got to come to play because these are great players. They were all something coming in. And my thoughts coming into the league was, of course, to win, but once I got on the court it was to establish myself. Thatís what I thought. Grow as a player and then worry about that.
But now, Iíve played in the All-Star Games; Iíve scored 30 points, 40 points before; had a triple-double before. I feel individually, like stats and stuff, I feel like I did my job with that and I established myself. But itís about winning championships, and the first thing I got to get out of my head is ĎI.í Itís like, ĎI want to win a championship.í Itís not about that because one guy doesnít win it, two guys donít win it, three guys donít win it. So itís about the whole team, the whole organization winning a championship.Ē

Posted in Insider

Xiao Yao You

10-30-2013 09:37 AM

Re: The season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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What the games against the Clippers and Lakers showed me is just how badly we needed to sign Jamaal Tinsley. We know heís slow on defense. We know he canít shoot. We know heís old. We know all of those things. But we know that he can pass. We know that he looks to set up his teammates and rarely looks for his own shot (largely because he doesnít have much of one, but I digress).

We know that Tinsleyís always had great assist numbers per-36: for his career, he has averaged 8.3 assists per 36 minutes, while John Lucas III has averaged 4.5. Again, Lucas has played 174 NBA gamesóstarting two of themóand heís played 2053 minutes in his NBA career. He has a career true shooting percentage of 48.2% and an eFG% of 46.6%. In comparison, Tinsley has played 539 games and started 399 of them, playing 14,333 career NBA minutes. His true shooting percentage of 47.2% and eFG% of 43.8% are, however, below Lucas IIIís. While Tinsley may be the inferior shooter, heís a much, much better passer, and I think that will be incredibly valuable as we start the season without Trey Burke.

So who will get the minutes? Will John Lucas III continue to start? Will Tinsley get the nod since heís more familiar with the system and with the players on the team? And what will happen when Trey Burke returns from his broken finger and integrates back into the team? Will Tinsley then be the backup? Or will Lucas III? Finally, whatís better for this Jazz team: Lucasís possession-using tendencies or Tinsleyís pass-at-all-costs style? The diametrically opposed mediocrity of both players brings to light an interesting set of dilemmas, and it will be fascinating to see how things settle over the next couple of weeks.

They obviously need help but if you're running the offense through your wing players you have to stop thinking about a pass first pg like in the Sloan years.

insidehoops

10-30-2013 11:24 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

I can't wait to see how Derrick Favors emerges
Wonder if he can earn that contract

Out_In_Utah

10-30-2013 05:25 PM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

I'm also excited for Favors, but I want Wiggins more than anything right now.

El Kabong

10-31-2013 01:39 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

Decent starts for Favors (too many turnovers though) and Kanter. Big game from Burks as well, hopefully he can keep it up.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 01:48 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

I assume Favors was dominating defensively because on paper it looks like Kanter, Burks, Harris and Jefferson should have been playing more.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 01:54 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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Strong effort from the Jazz tonight. The second half defense was terrific. They held the #2 team in the NBA offensively last year to just 84.6 pts per 100 possessions.

Not # 2 without Westbrook.

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The defensive rebounding was the key they grabbed 20 of 22 potential defensive rebounds in the 2nd half. Rotations were great and the Thunder looked to wear down.
The well-travelled Mike Harris battled Kevin Durant every step of the way tonight. Harris came in due to foul trouble and injuries and took advantage. He has a ton of experience and life experience that makes him unflustered in a big moment. He has played all over the globe and just tried to hang on in the NBA. Tonight he battled defensive and made some shots.
Alec Burks scored 19 points in the second half and I donít think he made an outside shot. He drove the basket got 7 free throws and found ways to create offense for a team that needs the offense.

As I've said he and Kanter and maybe eventually Burke are the guys they should be leaning on to score. Hayward will be best creating for himself and others rather than trying to be a go to guy.

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Gordon Hayward had to try to match Kevin Durant tonight and it was a tough task. He got into foul trouble, air balled two shots in the 4th quarter and with a good look three to tie the game he rimmed out. Hayward finished 4 of 13 shooting. Asking him to be the number 1 option might be tough for Hayward to have a decent shooting percentage.

exactly

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Kevin Durant took the 2nd most amount of free throws he has ever taken in his NBA career. He dropped 40 for the 28th time in his NBA career.
Ron Boone, Thurl Bailey and I are giving out ďJazz NotesĒ this year. Think of them as helmet stickers.. Alec Burks got 3, two for terrific moves to the basket and one for a super pass in transition to Mike Harris, Mike Harris got one from Boone for his defense on Durant and I gave him one for his overall performance. Thurl Bailey gave the team a Jazz note for the fearless thye played with to open the game and one to Favors for his leadership. Gordon Hayward earned one for his pass to Kanter in the post.
Jazz allowed the Thunder to close the 2nd quarter on a 15-4 run
Jazz had two chances to tie and couldnít covert and three chances with the game down 3
Ball movement early in the game was terrific Ė Jazz had 16 assists on 18 field goals in 1st half.

Yes lots of assists. Looks like they are getting back to Jazz basketball after the past 2 plus years of Al ball!

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Jazz trailed by 8 heading into the 4th quarter and went two solid surges to get back with a possession.
Favors had a career high 5 assists

But 6 TO's! :no:

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Overall very good performance, they got beat by one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Without Durant being out of this world the Jazz grab this game.

Looks like TO's were the difference and Favors and G had almost half of them. If they can clean those up they might be on to something at least at home.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 01:58 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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Look for Thunder to go small for 8 to 12 minutes tonight with Durant at the 4. Will be a key stretch for the Jazz to match- up and deal with a spread floor. Who guards Durant in this line-up. Ideally, Marvin Williams but he is not available.

Ideally Mike Harris it looks like. I can see G playing some 4. He's put on some muscle.

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* Scott Brooks had interesting comments about how Hayward and Favors are now the focus of their discussion in shoot around. Ēthey will go through an adjustment period but they got a bright future they have are talented and they play hard. You can never discount hard play, Hayward just goes and attacks on both end of the floor he doesnít give up an inch. Those are the type of players you want to build your team around. As the year goes for them they will get better because they work too hard.Ē Brooks does think both Favors and Kanter are going to very good.

* Durant says he plays the game because of the kids in the arena that are wearing his jersey and seeing him play for the first time. Durant is a wonderful ambassador of the game. He seems to have it all put together.

* I asked Durant about his early years and he said he wanted to prove he belonged but at some point losing 120 games in two years was more than anyone can handle.

* Reggie Jackson who is filling in for Russell Westbrook is making his first career regular season start.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 01:59 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

The Jazz and Hayward have until 9:59 p.m. MT on Thursday to reach a deal to extend the 23-year-old swingmanís contract; otherwise, Utahís first-round pick in 2010 will become a restricted free agent this summer. So far, no deal has been reached. If Hayward is thinking much about the ongoing talks, heís not saying. "The game is the only thing thatís on my mind right now," he said. "Thatís whatís important."

Salt Lake Tribune

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 02:12 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has exercised its fourth-year option for the 2014-15 season for guard/forward Jimmy Butler, and its third-year option for the 2014-15 season for guard Marquis Teague. By exercising the respective player options, both players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2014-15 season. NBA.com

I'd guess the Jazz would be less interested in Teague now that he's not expiring.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 02:13 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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While Trey Burkeís absence to start the season makes the latter more inevitable, Hayward may have led the team in assists either way. Spanning back to his rookie season, his vision and deft passing have been perhaps his greatest skills. He knows how to involve people and good things happen when the ball is in his hands.Hayward understands his teammates and knows where and when to deliver the ball. With his heightened role as the teamís leader, his passing will be invaluable for the Jazz going forward.

And Burks should probably be #2.

Xiao Yao You

10-31-2013 02:15 AM

Re: Season of the tank!-2013-14 regular season

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Iím really not the person to explain this concept, but physics says that the higher arc on your shot, the greater the force with which the ball will hit the rim, or the backboard, or the hardwood, based on, you know, where you aimed it when you shot it. As you can probably tell, I donít really know what Iím talking about, but I have seen Gordon Hayward shoot a whole metric ton of three-pointers, and man his arc is high, and when he misses, he really misses it. Like, he bricks the crap out of it. The ball flies in every direction, and its sound and impact against the rim almost physically hurts you. The rim vibrates and the waves run down your spine like when you hit a baseball wrong with an aluminum bat. But then when he makes it, itís almost shocking. Itís its own miracle. How could it have made it through that tiny cylinder when it was falling from so high? How did it avoid so many opportunities to veer off course? How could anyone ever make a shot with that kind of arc on it? But he made it. It went in like lightning in slow motion, a blinding kind of flawless. And the net snapped, and the ball landed with all its force, unencumbered and powerful. And it is as beautiful and healing as the miss is ugly and painful. Itís a swish and a clank, a high and a low, Haywardís narrative played out in the arc of his jump shot. Because itís a metaphor. Get it?

Apparently never saw a "rainmaker" from Dr. Dunkenstein, the Golden Grif, Darrell Griffith.